brain-dead
adjective
1
: characterized by brain death
2
: lacking intelligence or vitality
brain-dead fools
Synonyms
- airheaded
- birdbrained
- bonehead
- boneheaded
- brainless
- bubbleheaded
- chuckleheaded
- dense
- dim
- dim-witted
- doltish
- dopey
- dopy
- dorky [slang]
- dull
- dumb
- dunderheaded
- empty-headed
- fatuous
- gormless [chiefly British]
- half-witted
- knuckleheaded
- lamebrain
- lamebrained
- lunkheaded
- mindless
- oafish
- obtuse
- opaque
- pinheaded
- senseless
- simple
- slow
- slow-witted
- soft
- softheaded
- stupid
- thick
- thick-witted
- thickheaded
- unintelligent
- unsmart
- vacuous
- weak-minded
- witless
Examples of brain-dead in a Sentence
it seems like she's always doing some brain-dead thing or another
Recent Examples on the Web
Nadella doesn’t say outright what everyone in the room knows: Just a decade ago, pundits had declared the company brain-dead.
—
Steven Levy, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024
All the ingredients for a romp are there, from the blinkered heroine to the delicious possibilities of brain-dead Hollywood pitchspeak.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2024
Another 15 to 19 are based in hospitals, but devoted to only brain-dead organ donors.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 25 June 2024
There are circumstances in which a patient who isn’t brain-dead may still become an organ donor.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brain-dead 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Steven Levy, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024
All the ingredients for a romp are there, from the blinkered heroine to the delicious possibilities of brain-dead Hollywood pitchspeak.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2024
Another 15 to 19 are based in hospitals, but devoted to only brain-dead organ donors.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 25 June 2024
There are circumstances in which a patient who isn’t brain-dead may still become an organ donor.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brain-dead
Dictionary Entries Near brain-dead
Cite this Entry
“Brain-dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brain-dead. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share